Xbox and Playstation are always in direct competition with each other and so are their fanbases. One of the things that people most commonly bring up when comparing the two is the games available on the platforms. Sony invests a lot into the Playstation and is very strict about the exclusivity of its games, while Microsoft is arguably better at playing nice, as almost all Xbox games nowadays also release on PC.
But even Xbox has a comparatively less fabulous list of exclusive games worth bragging about, where its strength lies in other things, namely Xbox Game Pass. The Xbox Game Pass is the ultimate deal a gamer could ask for, and virtually every game that is releasing soon on the Xbox will be instantly available on the pass. With hyped-up sequels, remakes, and newer games, Xbox's upcoming schedule looks pretty sweet.
12 Minutes
As it says in the title, 12 Minutes is technically a very short game that is only 12 minutes long and takes place inside a small apartment, consisting of a few rooms only. But the game extends these 12 minutes by introducing a time loop mechanism, where the game resets every 12 minutes.
The player must then use the knowledge from the previous 12-minute long session to solve a certain mystery. There are three key characters in the game, who have been voiced by the famous actors James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
After a long 12 year gap, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (actually an acronym of a long series of words) franchise is returning. The Chernobyl disaster and its location lie at the heart of the series, as all the games take place in the area surrounding the nuclear power plants called "The Zone".
This zone is the home for various almost supernatural events that defy the laws of science, and these mysterious phenomena attract all kinds of different people to the place, people that the player interacts with on their journey.
CrossfireX
Crossfire is a game that is in the billion range when it comes to player count and is also one of the highest-grossing games in the world, with total revenue of more than $12 billion.
These are all some very impressive stats, so it's no wonder Microsoft is trying to expand upon them even further by introducing the game (which has been only on Windows for the most part) into the Xbox market. CrossfireX, which will be an Xbox exclusive, will obviously put an emphasis on the online portion but will also have a single-player campaign.
Back 4 Blood
Fans have been asking for Left 4 Dead 3 for over a decade now, so the developers of the original game took matters into their own hands and are now independently developing a sequel.
Back 4 Blood isn't exactly Left 4 Dead 3, but everybody is treating it as such. Just like Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood will feature a group of 4 (or more, depending on the game mode) people, and players will get a chance to step into their shoes and fight hordes of zombies with friends over online multiplayer.
System Shock
The late 90s were a time of constant development in video games, and 1994's System Shock influenced a whole generation of games with its 3D graphics and innovative gameplay. Since the release of System Shock 2 in 1999, the series has been almost defunct, although a third sequel was announced in 2015.
A complete remake of the original game and carrying the same name, this upcoming much-anticipated game was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. A demo is currently available on Steam for free.
Shredders
Shredders is an upcoming snowboarding video game, inspired by classics like the Amped games from the days of the first Xbox. Beautiful mountain visuals and cool snowboarding movements will be an obvious part of the game, and according to the official website, it will have a multiplayer "baked into its core."
The official website also shares that the entire developing team behind the game are people who snowboarders and skiers themselves, and it's always good to see that people working on such niche topics know their stuff.
Scorn
The works of artists H. R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński can only be described as being horrific and nightmarish, and yet artistic to a degree that is absolutely arresting. Without Giger, the Alien franchise and Xenomorphs wouldn't be what they are today.
Much of that same artistry can be seen in Scorn as well. The game has been in development for quite some time, and the first trailer came out back in 2016, which showed a world that was a creepy combination of organic and machinery.
The Ascent
An action RPG, The Ascent is set in a dystopian world called Veles that has devolved into a state of chaos after the corporation that controlled everything has collapsed. Being an RPG, character customization will obviously be an option for players, especially in the form of cybernetic enhancements.
All the action will take place from a top-down perspective, and the cyberpunk visuals that the trailer showed off were impressive, to say the least. Online multiplayer will also be a big focus, and players will have the choice to play through the story with friends through local co-op.
Bright Memory: Infinite
Just one glance at the graphics and gameplay of Bright Memory makes it difficult to believe that the game was developed by a single person. It might not be "Game of the Year" type of amazing, but there is still plenty to praise.
The game had initially released back in 2020, and is being remade with extra content and a new name - Infinite. It will also be releasing sometime in 2021. PC players who already bought Bright Memory will be able to get this remake for free.
Halo Infinite
When the gameplay for Halo Infinite was released in 2020, backlash from the fans was huge, to say the least (followed by an onslaught of memes). As one of the biggest video gaming franchises in the world with a massive fanbase, there come certain expectations, and many initially felt the game wasn't meeting them.
Microsoft quickly responded by delaying the game, and hopefully, the developers have used this time well. One of the most criticized aspects of Halo 5 was the utter lack of Master Chief, and Infinite will be fixing that by putting him in the center again where he belongs.